1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to horticulture and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for amending soils to maintain hydration of plants, aeration of soils, or both.
2. The Background Art
Different types of soils perform their functions differently. In particular, rocky soils, sandy soils and the like tend to pass water too freely. Likewise clay soils tend to hold water, but yet not permit the water to distribute therethroughout. Typically, organic soils, having substantial amounts of loam formed by organic matter such as leaves, other foliage, decaying plant matter, and the like, provide better absorption and holding of water.
The health of plants depends upon access to water. Many parts of the United States, and even indoor plant locations such as malls, homes, offices, and the like receive little or no rainfall. Irrigation or periodic watering by some mechanism is often required. In such situations, plants may dwell for an extended period without additional water. Organic soils improve the water holding capacity around such plants. Nevertheless, evaporation and periodic watering may still combine to stress plants.
Meanwhile, aeration is not without its problems. Drills and coring devices leave on the surface of the soil the material removed from penetrations made for aeration. For a golfing green or the like, such deposits disturb the playing surface. Even on a lawn, such deposits may be unsightly or otherwise problematic.
It would be an advance in the art to provide a material, apparatus, and method whereby to automatically store within a soil, such as near roots, a substance to absorb water, releasing it over time while resisting evaporation. It would be a further advance in the art to create materials and methods for soil amendment, so materials could be automatically injected into soils to provide aeration and maintenance of hydration by an aeration or tillage device. It would be a further advance in the art to provide an apparatus, method, and material by which to amend soils for improved hydration and aeration without hampering operation of tillage and dressing equipment.
It would be a further advance in the art to provide apparatus, methods, and materials to delay activity of a soil amendment until the amending material has had time to be received and integrated more deeply into the soil and the soil has had time to redistribute or recover from the disturbance caused by placement of the hydrating amendment into the soil through dressing or tillage.